Before I Pho'-get: The Pho' Retrospective - Phuong Trang, Convoy Noodle House, Pho Hoa Hiep, Pho Ca Dao (ECB), Pho Cali, Pho Viet Cali, Lucky Pho

*** For updated content on Pho' you can check out our Pho category.

As promised, here's my Pho' retrospective. But first I made a stop at Phuong Trang:

*** An updated post on the Pho at Phuong Trang can be found here.

Why Phuong Trang? I know I've already done a post on Phuong Trang, but I consider the Pho' there to be the most "middle of the road" Pho'. Not too dark, not to much oil, no strong clove, anise, or cinnamon flavor. That's not to say I don't like it, I've eaten there on many occasions, and don't mind it at all. The Pho' is very accessible, and when someone who's never had Pho' asks me where to go, I sometimes recommend Phuong Trang for that reason as well.

Today's bowl is the Extra Large Combination($5.25). The rare steak is always a good bet here, and the brisket is usually pretty good. Today there was a shortage of tripe, and the beef flank was mostly inedible fat. I also find that Phuong Trang always provides a good amount of Basil, Bean Sprouts, and Jalapenos, at least for my taste. Though I've noticed that quantities have gotten smaller; also no Ngo Gai is provided. The noodles are usually just the right texture. So there you go, your perfect, consistent, middle of the road Pho'.

I've come to understand that Pho' preferences vary wildly from individual to individual. Even more then Banh Mi. Some like a lighter broth, some darker, some enjoy a good quantity of oil, while others are just plain grossed out by it. Some even want the soup brought at a scalding hot temperature, but another said that if the broth is too hot, you won't be able to eat it, and the noodles will get too soft. I won't even get into the various cuts of meat! You get the point, right?

So I'll just list the bowls, and tack on a short impression, and maybe some notes..... All bowls are of the "combination"(Dac Biet).

September 11, 2005 - Convoy Noodle House

*** An updated post on the Pho at Convoy Noodle House can be found here.

Impressions: A darker-full bodied, broth, stronger clove flavor. Meats are routine and are sometimes inconsistent. Skimpy garnishes, no Ngo Gai.

Notes: One of my regular stops, I like the broth, and usually a good quantity of meat.

Convoy Noodle House
4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

January 16, 2006 - Pho Hoa Hiep

Impressions: Lighter broth, the flavor of the cilantro, green onions, and garnishes(including Ngo Gai) come through. Love the tendon here, also usually a very generous amount of tripe. Didn't care for the rare steak. Noodles were the normal clump.

Notes: On a subsequent visit, the soup was exactly the same, so looks like a very consistent bowl.

Pho Hoa Hiep
6947 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

February 5, 2006 - Pho Ca Dao (El Cajon Boulevard Location)

Impressions: Broth a shade richer then Pho Hoa Hiep. Lot's of green onions and cilantro for flavor, which was very balanced. Tendon at Pho Ca Dao, is my favorite, generous amount of brisket, though a bit too fatty. Rare steak was on the tough and dry side. Quantity of garnish on the small side.

Notes: Though I usually have the Bun Bo Hue here, I think the Pho' is pretty good.

Pho Ca Dao
5223 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

March 1, 2006 - Pho' Cali

Impressions: If you're in Mission Valley and must have a bowl of Pho', this is your only choice. Broth had medium oil content, slight anise flavor in medium-light broth. On my visit, the noodles were a cold clump in the bottom of the bowl. Very skimpy on the garnishes, and I didn't care for the meat, rare steak and tendon was tough. The broth is okay, though.

Pho' Cali
1400 Camino De La Reina #105
San Diego, CA 92018

March 19, 2006 - Pho Viet Cali

*** Pho Viet Cali has closed

Impressions: The Dac Biet was pretty expensive, $6.15. Terribly stingy on the garnishes. Light, unremarkable broth. In addition to all the "usual" cuts of beef, this bowl had meatballs. Overall, lot's of meat, generic broth, a bit pricier.

Pho' Viet Cali
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd. #113
San Diego, CA 92121

March 28, 2006 - Lucky Pho'

Impressions: Darker broth, with a hint of anise and clove. Oil content varies; on this trip it was low, on another slightly higher. Noodles are routine, but good. The meats are not the best, and are on the inconsistent side, some days the tendon is very tough, likewise with the brisket, etc. Adequate garnishes, with Ngo Gai.

Notes: This broth is to my taste, and that is the main reason I return. The meat at Pho Ca Dao and Pho Hoa Hiep are better.

Lucky Pho' in Lucky Seafood Supermarket
9326 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

May 10, 2006 - Bolsaa Vietnamese Restaurant

*** Bolsaa has since closed

Impressions: The garnishes are adequate. Broth on the light side, with low oil content. I found the rare steak to be good, but the rest of the meats were on the tough and dry side. Noodles were fine, not mushy and not too chewy.

Notes: On this visit, the broth was very salty; though I've been informed that it was probably a "glitch".

Bolsaa Vietnamese Cuisine
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Well there it is, and those in San Diego probably have noticed that many of the popular Pho' establishments, such as Pho Hoa Huang, Pho Van, Pho Hoa Cali, Pho T Cali, and so on, have not been "represented". All in due time. And maybe I'll have enough bowls of Bun Bo Hue soon to do a retrospective on that as well.

Until then; like DietChiliCheeseFries always says - "Eat the Pho!!!!"

Comments

[Reid]

Hi Kirk,

It's really interesting to see how much Vietnamese food you actually eat. If there were more GOOD choices here, I'd probably eat it more often.

Many of the pho places here use lots of MSG and I can't drink the broth. Sometimes just eating the meat and noodles gives me a headache. *sigh*

[Kirk]

Hi Reid - Many times it's a toss up between fast food, taco shops, and Vietnamese, so guess which one wins out. Plus, I'm really starting to understand the subtle differences in the broth. I'm sure Pho' places in San Diego us MSG as well.

[dietchilicheesefries]

hey kirk,

the pho in the movie was bought at a local shop in the afternoon and was sitting/absorbing broth for at least a few hours before shooting began... its funny cause anyone that knows anything about Pho always mentions that and says it looks more like "soba" noodles... hahahaha too funny.. EAT THE PHO!!!!!!! ;P

[Marc]

Hi Kirk,

Uh oh... I was afraid of this... Pho Hoa @ 6921 Linda Vista Road didn't even make the cut?

Maybe I'm pho-less, but I'd give Pho Hoa Linda Vista 5-phos for their pho, 5-phos for their Cafe Su Da and 5 more phos for their Cha Gio.

(Thanks for the Tour de Pho!)

[Kirk]

Hi DCCF - You'll need a better "food stylist" for your next project.

Hi Marc - Not to worry, I just haven't gotten to Pho Hoa, yet! If I remember the broth there is on the dark side. Too many restaurants Pho' one guy!

[howie]

Ahh... I've been looking forward to the pho roundup for a long time. It's nice to see all the comparisons in one handy location. You're right on with the pho vs fast food decision. It's a no-brainer for me. Vietnamese has a great quality-to-price ratio.

Like Marc, I like Pho Hoa in Linda Vista a lot. The broth is rich and beefy and the meat is usually nice and tender. But the quality varies sometimes.

[mizducky]

Hi Kirk--thanks for the nifty retrospective! I just tried Bolsaa for lunch today, and my observations pretty much matched yours. Right now I think my Convoy Street neighborhood favorite remains Convoy Noodle House, but admittedly I haven't tried Phuong Trang yet. My overall pho fave is currently Saigon on El Cajon Blvd.--they've given me a really impressive amount of meat in my pho there. Mind you, though, I seem to be less tuned into the broth flavor nuances than you are. Pho-ward into the future! :-)

[Reynila]

hi kirk!
i really like phuong trang...it's one of our favorites. one of my friends describes that restaurant as a 'vietnamese denny's'. pho cali in mission valley was awful and yes their garnish plate was skimpy. have you been down to pho vinh in chula vista (on broadway?)

[Kirk]

Hi Howie - Yeah, I need to get to more Pho' places, huh? :o) THanks for patiently waiting.....

Hi mizducky - I enjoy Convoy Noodle House as well, as does Ed from Yuma. I like the broth there.

Hi Reynila - The Missus likes Phuong Trang too. "Vietnamese Denny's"....that cracks me up. Hopefully I'll get down and try the Pho' and Banh Mi places in the South Bay soon...but it's hard to stay away from Filipino Food and Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings when I'm down there!

[Jean]

Pure torture Kirk. Didn't get to make my Pho this week (hubby is OD'ing on Pho), but I shall have my way with him. ;)

[elmomonster]

I love these retrospectives. I only wished you lived in OC so that I can benefit from all your hard work!

[Kirk]

Hi Jean - LOL! Sounds like you're having alot of fun with your adventures in Pho'.

Hi Elmo - Thanks man. I've gotten several requests for them, so I thought I should get off my butt and get them done.

[jeni]

PHO NOTES??? You're like a sommelier, but for pho. PHOmmelier. You cease to amaze me Kirk.

[Kirk]

Hi Jeni - A PHOmmelier??? LOL!

[mizducky]

Hi Kirk--popping in here again to say that, if/when you do a similar retrospective on Bun Bo Hue, you might want to check out Saigon's version. I had it yesterday and thought it was pretty good. Broth, while not spicy-hot, had a nice rich flavor; generous amount of meat; huge pile of veggie garnishes (though the only herb was mint); noodles with nice texture. Oh, and they do include pig's blood, which I happen to like, but IIRC, you'll be wanting to ask them to omit that, right? Anyway, enjoy!

[Kirk]

Hi mizducky - Thanks for the rec....I never really get any type of noodle soup at Saigon. I tried the Pho' there once, and didn't care for it. Too much anise, and too much oil. But I'll check it out.

[Darren Ferguson]

A kindred spirit!
http://www.darren-ferguson.com/blog/?cat=2

[Kirk]

Hi Darren - Cool! Another member of the "Brother(Sister)hood of Pho'"

[stephen]

Pho Tu Do is one of the best pho shops in SD and has great service with nice owners, not the too busy to refill your water and too stingy to give u more beansprouts type of people which are very common.

[em]

Interesting perspective. I can appreciate someone who enjoys a good bowl of pho. I've eaten a lot of pho (at least 2x/wk) and IMHO I wouldn't consider Phuong Trang a place one would find good pho. They have a lot on their menu but from what I know about pho, it's better to have pho at a place that specializes in it. Those specialized pho restaurants have a less extensive menu and thus sells a lot of pho. Pho loses its aroma if it sits around too long and the broth turns dark. It's better to have a clear broth than a dark one. There's a number of reasons why a broth is dark and that's one of them.